


Against the Odds

by Aquata



Category: Rush Hour (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-28 17:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10835496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquata/pseuds/Aquata
Summary: Captured and injured, Lee is certain that he and Carter are about to die. But maybe there's still the tiniest ray of hope for them yet and Carter has something he needs to tell him before it's too late.Angst followed by fluff.





	1. Chapter 1

Lee had always assumed he would die alone.

He had made peace with that knowledge long ago. His job was a dangerous one and he knew that eventually he would come up against someone quicker, stronger, _better_ than him and when that happened, there was only one possible outcome; a brutal and bloody end.

He had also known that there would be precious few to care that he was gone. He had never been good with people. In the words of many of those he had known over the years, he was too serious, too cold, too _unfeeling_. That last one had hurt when his colleague had said it but he had never been good at sharing his feelings, didn't know how to, and so he had buried that hurt deep inside, a quiet part of him wondering if they had been right. It was for that same reason that he had always accepted that he would be alone when the time finally came, without anyone to care or soften the pain.

What he hadn't counted on was Carter. Brave, loyal, brilliant Carter who smiled like the sun and joked about him being a robot but always said it with a mischievous glint in his eyes and an affectionate tone that said he would never want him to change. Carter who made bad jokes when Lee was feeling down in an effort to cheer him up and had a tendency to throw an affectionate arm around him when he was happy.

Carter who trusted him enough to follow him anywhere and who was at that very moment laying motionless just a short distance away from him on the cold, grimy floor of their shared prison with his eyes closed and blood on his face. It hurt, more than Lee could even find the words for, that Carter would die there too.

He tipped his head up to look at him better and then winced at the pain that simply moving sent through him. His whole body ached, a result of the beating he had taken just before they had been flung into this dirty room with its bare brick walls and concrete floor. He was fairly certain that at least a couple of his ribs were broken and he knew he must be developing some nasty bruises if the pain throughout his body was anything to go by.

There was something wrong with his ankle too. He could feel it swelling and when he tried to move it, he had to grit his teeth against the pain as the room span and sudden nausea rushed through him. He wouldn't be putting any weight on it in the near future.

Besides that though, he was pretty confident that he hadn't sustained any life threatening injuries, not that that would help him for long. He knew full well that their captors didn't intend to keep them alive and he couldn't see any way out of this mess.

His wrists had been bound tightly behind him, his ankles tied too for good measure, which had hurt so badly he'd almost passed out. But even if he were able to untie himself, he knew he wouldn't be able to break the door down and make it past the guards he could hear outside. They had been vastly outnumbered when they had been taken captive and he was under no illusions that the situation had changed.

He wouldn't have been able to make it far supporting Carter's weight anyway and there was no way he would ever leave him in this place.

Carter seemed to be in a worse state than him. There was blood running from a gash above his eyebrow and an ugly bruise blooming across his cheekbone. And even though he couldn't see Carter's hands, he knew that some of his fingers were broken; he had seen the way one of their captors had crushed Carter's hand under his heavy boot and heard the agonised scream that had torn from his partner's mouth.

He worried too about the injuries he couldn't see beneath Carter's clothes. If his own ribs were broken then there was a high chance that Carter's were in a similar state. Even worse though was the fact that he still hadn't woken up after the nasty blow he had taken to the head and that had Lee worried. Not that they would be around much longer for it to become an issue and he supposed he should take comfort in the fact that at least Carter wasn't aware of his injuries or their grim situation.

"Carter," he found himself saying though, in an attempt to wake him up despite that thought, partly because a selfish bit of him wanted to see Carter's eyes again and partly because he knew it could be bad for Carter's health if he let him remain unconscious. And despite Lee's almost certainty that they were going to die there, there was still a part of him that clung to the faint hope that Carter at least might make it out of there somehow, despite all the odds that were stacked against them.

"Carter," he said again when his partner didn't react, but there was still no movement. He shifted slightly, forcing his bruised body into action as he started to shuffle towards him, being careful not to use his injured ankle. The way his hands were bound behind his back made it awkward and pain lanced through his ribs but that wasn't enough to stop him and he kept moving, grunting with pain at each movement until he could finally collapse at Carter's side.

He lay still for a moment, trying to breathe through the pain and closing his eyes against the way the room was suddenly blurring dizzyingly. When he opened them again, he found himself looking into Carter's face and his eyes strayed automatically to the blood that was starting to dry on his skin.

"Carter," he said desperately, nudging at his ankle with his uninjured foot, crying out in pain when the action jostled his bad ankle. When that didn't work, he lifted his head to press against Carter's shoulder, pushing at him gently with his forehead and wishing all the while that his hands were free.

"Please wake up," he pled against his shoulder, aware of the slightly frantic note that was creeping into his voice as Carter still didn't so much as stir. "Please, I need you to wake up."

He had once told Carter that he didn't feel fear, that he didn't have time for it, but now that he was there, looking at his unconscious partner and knowing how little hope there was for him, he was deathly afraid. He might have been able to fight off the fear if he was alone, might have been able to stay calm if he knew Carter was safe somewhere else. But Carter wasn't safe. He was there with him and it had icy fear starting to creep through him at the thought that Carter might not make it out again.

He butted his head harder against Carter's shoulder in another effort to wake him but the movement pulled at his ribs and he fell back with a gasp of pain, darkness dancing at the edges of his vision. It took him long minutes to recover, laying there and gasping for breath just inches from his unresponsive partner.

When he finally felt like he could move again, he turned his head to look at Carter once more, noticing for the first time that he was shivering. He was suddenly aware of the chill that pervaded the room, seeping into him through the air and the cold, hard floor, and it said a lot about his own mental faculties that he hadn't noticed it beforehand.

He shifted closer, pressing against Carter and trying to warm him with his own body. He wished again that his hands were free so that he could wrap his arms around him and rub at the bare skin of his arms but he had to make do with simply lying against him and hoping it was enough. He wasn't sure where Carter's ever present jacket had gone but suspected it had been taken at some point shortly after their capture along with anything they had been carrying at the time.

"Wake up, Carter," he tried again, pressing their foreheads together and squeezing his eyes shut against the sting of tears and the cold feeling of dread when Carter didn't answer. He couldn't lose him like this. "Please, Carter. I need you to wake up. I can't... I can't..."

He choked back a sob, taking a few shuddering breaths to calm himself, and then pressed his head harder against Carter's.

" _Please_ ," he said insistently, his voice cracking on the word. "Just wake up. Don't leave me like this. There's so much I didn't tell you and I... I should have. I didn't know how to and I'm so sorry."

He took a shaky breath, knowing he was about to lose the battle with the tears that were filling his eyes. "Just wake up for me. Please, James. I need you."

He swallowed hard and moved to press his face into Carter's shoulder, ignoring the pain that flared in his ribs at the action. His shoulders were shaking with barely suppressed grief and his hands clenched behind his back with the ache to reach out and hold onto him.

"Please," he found himself murmuring into Carter's t shirt, repeating the word again and again until it lost all meaning.

He was just starting to slip into a daze, full of grief and pain, when he felt sudden movement against him. His head shot up to look at Carter and for a moment everything blurred into sickening pain but when he came back to himself, he found Carter looking back at him blearily.

"Lee?" he asked quietly and Lee's heart lurched with sudden overwhelming relief.

" _James_ ," he breathed and if Carter was surprised by the use of his first name or the way they were pressed so closely against each other, he didn't show it.

"Where...?" Carter started to ask with a frown, beginning to move and then stopping with a pained sound. He looked around, confusion in his eyes for a moment before realization washed over his expression as he remembered what was happening. "Oh," he said quietly and Lee's heart broke at the hopelessness that settled onto his face.

Just like that he was filled with the desperate need to get him out of there. He knew their chances were slim to none but maybe, just maybe, he could do something, anything, to get his partner out of this mess.

"Can you move?" he asked. "If we can get out maybe I can distract them long enough for you to-"

"No," Carter said softly, already shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Then we work together. If we can take out the guards outside the door, we can try to sneak-"

"There's no way we can take them," Carter cut him off gently in a strange reversal of their usual roles. Normally Carter would be the one coming up with ridiculous plans and Lee would be the logical voice of reason but logic wasn't really factoring into his thoughts right then.

"We have to try," Lee told him desperately. He knew how impossible the situation was but it was suddenly a lot harder to accept than it had been a short time ago, especially now that Carter was awake and looking at him with fear in his eyes. "If we can get out..."

"Lee."

"I can... I can..." he tried frantically, his breaths coming quickly.

"Lee, stop," Carter said softly, watching him with sad eyes. "I don't think we're getting out of here."

Lee shook his head adamantly but he knew Carter was right. There was no way out of this.

"I'm sorry," he managed to choke out, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again Carter's eyes were filled with tears as he watched him.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Carter replied, his voice tight with emotion and Lee wanted more than anything to hold him tight and never let go. Instead he settled for edging closer and resting his forehead against Carter's as they lapsed into silence, neither knowing what to say.

The quiet drew on and he listened to Carter's breathing, hearing the way it hitched as he tried to keep himself from breaking down. He wanted to tell him it was okay to cry, that he was terrified himself and that there was no way he would ever judge him for it, but the words lodged in his throat and he couldn't get them out.

"Lee," Carter finally whispered, and Lee felt the movement of the air against his lips. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Lee asked, pulling back slightly so that he could see Carter's face. For a moment Carter just looked at him, his eyes tracing over Lee's face as if he was trying to memorize it but then he met Lee's gaze again.

"Maybe it's selfish for me to say this now," he admitted in a hushed voice. "But I just need to actually say it before we..." He trailed off but Lee heard the rest of the sentence as loudly as if he had spoken it. _Before we die_.

Carter took a shuddering breath, his eyes not leaving Lee's. "I love you," he said brokenly and of all the ways Lee had imagined hearing those words, this wasn't one of them. "I've been in love with you for a long time now."

Under normal circumstances, Lee would have been overjoyed to hear that. He had yearned to hear those words for such a long time but now he just wanted to cry because he could have had this all along and now it was too late.

"I love you too," he said, his voice trembling with emotion and he wished once more that his hands were free so that he could touch Carter.

Carter's eyes went sad, his mouth tipping down as he clearly thought of all the time they had lost. Lee couldn't stand the sight of that expression on his normally cheerful partner so he closed the gap between them again and pressed their mouths together.

It wasn't how he had imagined their first kiss. When he had thought about it there had been smiles and joy and tender affection but this was chaste and full of grief for all the wasted opportunities.

When he pulled away, Carter's eyes were glistening with unshed tears but a moment later Carter was sealing their mouths together again, kissing him slow and tender. They stayed like that, exchanging slow kisses and murmuring 'I love you' in the gaps between, refusing to part for more than the briefest of moments.

It felt like they were trying to pack all of the missed kisses into this short space of time, trying to make up for all the 'I love you's they hadn't had a chance to say.

They were still kissing when the first gunshot sounded through the building.

They jerked apart, twisting their heads towards the door and listening in tense silence as the sounds of fighting and more gunfire echoed towards them.

Lee met Carter's eyes finding them wide and anxious but there was hope there too, hope that this might be the rescue neither of them had thought was coming.

"Whatever happens, I love you," Carter said and Lee leaned in to kiss him hard for a long moment.

"I love you too," he said when they broke apart and they both turned their heads to watch the door again, helpless to do anything other than wait.

The fighting drew closer, until there was shouting in the corridor outside their room and Lee waited apprehensively, hoping that the newcomers were their colleagues and hoping that they would be the ones to win the battle.

One last gunshot sounded nearby and then heavy footsteps started to make their way to the door of the room. A key turned in the lock and Lee could only hope the right people had won because there was nothing he would be able to do against one of their captors in his current state. Still he forced himself into a half sitting position, his ribs protesting and throbbing with pain, and curled his body protectively over Carter's, determined to do everything he could to keep him safe until his last breath.

It hurt more than he had expected it to and his vision went hazy as he was almost overwhelmed by the pain. He was dimly aware of the sound of the door opening and footsteps entering the room but he was having trouble focusing.

Strong hands gripped his shoulders and he found himself being pulled off of Carter. He made a sound of protest and tried to struggle but the pain that shot through him had him almost passing out. His heartbeat echoed in his ears and his sight darkened but then he heard Carter's voice through the fog.

"Lee, it's okay, they've found us," he was saying and the darkness receded just long enough for him to see Carter's worried expression. He turned his head and found himself looking at a man in a S.W.A.T. uniform. The sight of it had him ceasing his struggles and relaxing in sudden overpowering relief.

They were safe.

Carter was safe.

His vision was starting to fade to black again though, his injuries taking their toll, and as he finally let himself slip under, he found himself tipping his head to the side. The last thing he saw was Carter's face, relief and concern warring for dominance in his expression as he reached out towards Lee with newly freed hands.

"Lee? Lee! Stay with me!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the last chapter. Gotta have a bit of fluff to counteract the angst of the first chapter!

A fist collided with his stomach and Lee forced himself to hold back the cry of pain that bubbled up, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. Nearby, Carter wasn't even trying to hide his pained sounds and each noise he made sent daggers through Lee's heart that hurt far worse than any of the physical pain currently being inflicted on him.

He managed to lift his head up just enough to see Carter and immediately regretted it when he saw the pain in his face, the way his body jerked as each fist connected with him.

"Carter," he choked out, trying to get away from the hands that held him up, that gripped tightly at his arms and stopped him from fighting back. Another punch to his chest had him gasping for breath as he _felt_ something break, pain lancing through his torso.

Through the pain, he saw Carter lash out at one of his captors, his fist colliding hard with the man's jaw. He felt a vicious sort of pride at the sight but it quickly turned to fear for Carter's safety when the man roared in anger and grabbed the front of Carter's shirt to haul him forwards roughly. He said something and Lee couldn't hear what it was but it had Carter flinching back, his eyes wide with fear.

The men holding Carter laughed cruelly and Lee watched helplessly as they flung him to the floor, watched his partner struggle weakly as he tried to crawl away from them. Lee fought against the hands holding him, trying desperately to break out of their grip, but there were too many of them and his ribs protested at every movement.

A hard kick to the back of his leg had him falling to his knees and then a foot connected with his side, knocking the air out of his lungs and leaving him gasping in pained breaths. They were still holding his arms tightly and he couldn't get away even though every part of him needed to, needed to run to Carter and protect him.

He could only watch as the man Carter had punched stepped forwards to stand next to his partner, a furious look on his face. He lifted his foot and then brought it smashing down onto the hand Carter had used to punch him. Carter screamed in agony and the sound of it echoed through Lee's head until it was all he could hear.

"Carter!" he shouted, the word ripping from his throat in horror as he fought to get to his partner. " _Carter!_ "

 

He woke up with a start, Carter's name on his tongue and one hand reaching out for him only to find that he was in a hospital room and Carter was nowhere in sight. He let his hand drop to the sheets beside him and tried to forget the terrible sound Carter had made, tried to slow the rapid pace of his breathing, each gasping breath pulling at his ribs uncomfortably. The pain was dulled by medication but he could still feel the way his ribs tugged with each inhalation.

It wasn't the first time he had woken since being admitted to hospital. He had been awake earlier, long enough for them to confirm that his ankle was broken and set it in a cast, long enough for them to tell him that some of his ribs were broken too, although he had already known that.

He had asked anyone he could get hold of about Carter and had received reassurances that he was okay but no more detail than that and it had him itching to go and find him himself, needing to see him with his own eyes and to find out the extent of his injuries. It didn't help that his mind kept replaying the way Carter had screamed when they had broken his hand and he couldn't help remembering the blood on his face the last time he had seen him, the fear in his eyes when they had thought they were going to die.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and tried to think of something else, tried to think of the kisses they had shared there too and the fact that Carter had told him he loved him. The memory of it sent a tendril of warmth through him but then he wanted to see Carter for an entirely different reason, wanted to make sure that Carter meant it and figure out what it meant for them now.

He sighed and opened his eyes again, blinking slowly up at the ceiling and wondering if he was capable of getting out of bed to look for Carter.

"Hey! You're awake," a voice said to his right, breaking him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to see Didi standing in the doorway, a cup of hospital coffee in her hand and a relieved smile on her face. It was good to see her after everything he'd been through and he offered her a small smile in response.

He started to sit up, struggling slightly when his ribs ached dully through the painkillers that must be filling his system, and Didi rushed forward, putting her cup on the nightstand as she reached out to help.

"Here, let me," she said, sliding an arm around his back and pulling at the pillows to rearrange them behind him until he could sit propped up against them.

"Thank you," he said quietly as she let go of him, feeling frustratingly weak and hating not being able to do it himself. "Where's Carter?"

"In a room down the hall. You know, he asked exactly the same thing when I saw him," Didi said fondly. "Wanted to know what happened to you. He was already halfway out of bed to come looking for you."

Lee smiled at that, a pleasant warmth filling him at the knowledge that Carter had been that intent on getting to him.

"How is he?" he asked, worry creeping through that warm feeling as he thought of the state Carter had been in before they were rescued.

"He'll be fine," Didi assured him quickly. "He's got a couple of broken ribs and a concussion but he's already trying to get up to see you so he's still his usual self. I left Gerald with him to make sure he doesn't get out of bed."

"What about his hand?" Lee asked worriedly, remembering the horrifying sound Carter had made when one of their captors had crushed it beneath his boot.

"He's got three broken fingers and few fractured bones but the doctors have set it and they're saying it looks good. Apparently it could have been a lot worse but they don't think he'll suffer any lasting effects," she answered and Lee breathed a sigh of relief at the news and then started to sit up further, the need to see Carter growing even stronger.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Didi asked, moving forward to stop him with a firm hand on his chest.

"I need to see him."

"No way. You aren't going anywhere until the doctors say you can. Until then you're both confined to bed," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Her expression was stern and Lee sighed in defeat and collapsed back into his pillows. Didi watched him suspiciously for a moment, as if she expected him to leap out of bed and make a run for it the moment she stepped away, but then she removed her hand from his chest and moved back.

"You two had me really worried, you know," she said, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. "When you just disappeared like that..." She looked upset and Lee wanted to comfort her but he wasn't sure how.

"We are safe now though," he tried. "My own injuries are not severe and you have said that the doctors think Carter will be okay."

Didi sighed again but gave him a grateful smile. "I know. Doesn't stop me worrying though. I could have lost you both today."

"But you didn't," Lee replied, wishing that Carter was there. He was always much better at comforting people than Lee was. "We are both alive and well, and Carter is already trying to escape his room."

Didi laughed at that, her expression affectionate, and she seemed to relax although Lee could still see a tiredness in her eyes that spoke of the toll this day had taken. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Didi reached out to take her cooling coffee from the nightstand, cupping it between her hands and sipping at it slowly.

"I got a call from your sister earlier," she said after a while and Lee looked across at her in surprise.

"Kim?"

"Unless you have another sister that we don't know about," she teased. "I don't know how she got my number, or how she even knew you were injured for that matter. But she wanted to know how you were. I told her you were fine and that you'd call her when you could."

"Thank you," Lee said gratefully, making a mental note to call her later. He knew she was between cases at the moment so it was one of the rare times that they were able to communicate directly instead of having to go through her handler and it was always a relief to actually hear her voice and know that she was safe.

"Alright, I should go," Didi said, draining the last of her coffee and standing up. "I have to get back to the station and you need to be resting anyway. I'll come back later though."

"Okay, thank you, Didi," Lee answered, glad that at least he wouldn't be left alone the whole time to worry about Carter and curse his own weakness that stopped him going to him.

She gave him an assessing look. "I'd hug you but I'm not sure you're in any fit state for that right now and I don't want to hurt you."

She pressed a hand over his instead, squeezing it lightly and Lee squeezed back, hoping it would help to reassure her because she still looked worried.

"I'm really glad you're both okay," she said softly, and Lee was suddenly overwhelmingly grateful for this little family he had found himself part of and the way Didi looked after them all.

"Me too," he agreed, wishing he knew how to tell her how appreciative he was of her friendship and the unconditional care she always showed. She gave him a slight smile and then pulled her hand away.

"I'll see you later," she said and he watched as she picked up her bag and made her way out of the room, glancing back at him over her shoulder for a moment before she went.

The door clicked shut behind her and he was left alone with his thoughts, thoughts that turned unerringly to Carter. Now that he knew he was safe, he couldn't help thinking again about the kisses they had shared when they thought they were about to die, the words they had whispered in that cold, grimy room where they were held captive. Hearing those words from Carter was everything he had wanted for such a long time and he let a faint smile creep across his face as he thought about him.

He was pulled out of those thoughts though by the sound of the door opening again and he turned his head to see Carter peering cautiously inside.

"Man, I thought she'd never leave," Carter said with a grin when he saw that the coast was clear and he slipped inside quickly. "Didi'd blow a fuse if she knew I was here."

"You should be in bed," Lee said with a frown but a surge of relief ran through him at the sight of his partner safe and smiling. He had a dressing taped to his forehead and a cast on his hand but he didn't look like he was in too much pain, for which Lee was extremely grateful.

Carter pulled a petulant face at him. "Don't you start too! I already got the whole lecture from Didi."

He crossed the room and perched on the side of Lee's bed, wincing as he settled and pressing one hand to his side. Lee was about to tell him off for putting strain on his ribs so soon but then his eyes settled again on the cast that enveloped Carter's left hand.

"Your hand," he said softly, reaching out to take it in his own and tracing his fingertips over the stark whiteness of the cast. "Does it hurt?"

"A little bit," Carter shrugged. "I'm on a load of painkillers right now though. Reckon it'd hurt like hell without 'em."

Lee frowned at that, wishing there was something he could do to take away Carter's injuries. He didn't like seeing him hurt like this, didn't like the reminder that it could have been so much worse.

Carter must have seen something of that in his expression because then he was talking again.

"Can you believe they wouldn't let me pick a color for my cast though?" he exclaimed, and Lee looked up to see him pouting childishly.

"Perhaps they thought you were too old to need a color on your cast," he suggested in amusement, a hint of teasing in his voice and Carter immediately looked outraged.

"You're never too old for a color on your cast! And stop looking at me like that! It's not funny, Lee," he complained. "I wanted blue dammit!"

Lee couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he looked up at Carter, overjoyed that he was well enough to be complaining about something so insignificant.

"I am sure you will manage," he said fondly, touching his fingers to Carter's thumb which was left exposed by the cast. That seemed to distract Carter from his grumbling and the petulant expression fell from his face to be replaced by something softer.

"So about what you said before..." he said quietly, his uninjured hand coming to rest on Lee's and a hint of nervousness creeping into his eyes. "You meant it, right? You weren't just saying it because we were going to die?"

"I meant it," Lee replied softly, stroking his fingers along the back of Carter's good hand. "I love you."

"Good," Carter said with a relieved smile. "'Cause I love you too and I woulda been really put out if I didn't get to do what I've been thinking about ever since I woke up."

"And what is that?" Lee asked curiously and Carter gave him a mischievous look.

"This," he said, leaning down to press their mouths together.

It was everything their first kiss should have been, warm and gentle, and Lee kissed back happily, one arm sliding around Carter to hold him close. He tilted his head slightly and the kiss deepened, their tongues sliding together as they sought more. Carter's tongue flicked against the roof of his mouth and Lee gasped then winced when the action hurt his abused ribs.

"Sorry, sorry," Carter apologized quickly, pulling back with a concerned expression but Lee shook his head.

"I am fine," he said reassuringly, finding Carter's uninjured hand and threading their fingers together.

Carter chewed his lip for a moment, looking down at their hands. "You know, you really worried me when you passed out like that."

His eyes met Lee's again and Lee could see the worry in them and the almost haunted look that lurked behind that. He suspected the latter would take some time to go away. If he had been dreaming about what had happened to them then he was certain Carter would too.

"You worried me too," he admitted. "When you would not wake up after..."

He reached a hand up to trace the edges of the small dressing that was taped just above Carter's eyebrow, covering the nasty gash that had been trailing blood down his face not so long ago.

"It didn't matter what I tried. You wouldn't wake up. I thought..." he broke off and turned his head aside to hide the look that he knew must be in his eyes, the look that would show just how scared he had been when Carter had been completely unresponsive beside him. He wasn't used to being scared. He hadn't felt fear for his own safety in a long time but this was different. This was fear for someone else, someone he couldn't entirely protect, no matter how skilled or dedicated he was, and he didn't know how to make that fear go away again.

"Hey, I'm okay now," Carter said soothingly. The fingertips of his injured hand touched Lee's chin, tipping his head back to look at him before ducking his head to kiss him briefly. "We're both gonna be fine."

He gave Lee a reassuring smile and Lee smiled back tentatively.

"I'm sorry I worried you," Carter murmured, his thumb stroking along Lee's and that tiny action helped ease the cold feeling of worry in his chest a bit.

"As am I," he said quietly, feeling bad that he had brought Carter the same fear that he himself had experienced. He reached up and touched the dressing on Carter's forehead again. "Didi said you have a concussion."

"Yeah, so you can't let me go to sleep, okay?"

Carter seemed completely unworried about it and Lee frowned in concern. "You should be in bed."

"Not this again," Carter said, rolling his eyes but then he brightened. "Budge over then."

He pushed at Lee gently and Lee raised a dubious eyebrow.

"There is not space for both of us," he commented but Carter just pushed at him again and he relented with a sigh, shifting over as much as he could to make room for him.

It took a bit of maneuvering, trying to be careful of their ribs as they figured out how to fit together, but eventually they were squashed together in the bed, their linked hands resting on Lee's stomach.

"See," Carter said, sounding pleased. "Now I'm in bed and people can stop lecturing me."

"I thought Gerald was supposed to be stopping you from leaving your room anyway," Lee said, a question in his voice, and Carter grinned.

"Yeah but my cousin's never been the best of guards."

"He just let you leave?"

"Nah he was all up for keeping me there at first so I bribed him with the jello from my hospital meal," Carter replied sounding amused and the slightest bit fond. "You know what he's like with food."

Lee huffed in laughter but stopped quickly when his ribs protested. "That is all it took?"

"Clearly you ain't never seen Gerald with jello," Carter said with a wry grin. "I could tell him to jump off a cliff for some and I think he honestly might consider it."

Lee watched him as he smiled affectionately, finding himself getting caught up in that smile and Carter's solid presence at his side. Even just earlier that day he would never have thought this was possible but there he was, pressed into a too small bed with a smiling Carter and the knowledge that he returned Lee's feelings, their hands linked easily together.

It was strange how comfortable it was. The casual, almost thoughtless movement of Carter's thumb against his made it all seem so easy, as if they had been doing this all their lives instead of for just a few brief minutes. His eyes traced the line of Carter's smile happily, a warm glow of joy lodging in his chest at the knowledge that this brilliant, beautiful man loved him too.

"What?" Carter asked self consciously, catching him watching.

"I love you," Lee told him contentedly and Carter beamed at him.

"I love you too," he said, leaning across to kiss him slowly, the curve of his smile pressing against Lee's lips. They kissed leisurely, trading languid kisses that send a pleasant warmth curling through Lee's whole body. One of his hands slid up to cup Carter's jaw and Carter tipped his head into the touch, kissing him just the slightest bit harder.

Lee made a faint noise of satisfaction in his throat, enjoying each slide of Carter's lips and each gentle touch of his hand. When Carter rolled closer, pressing into him, he made another pleased sound but just a moment later Carter was pulling back with a noise of discomfort and a pained expression. He pressed one hand to his ribs and Lee watched in concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as Carter rearranged himself until he was comfortable again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Carter answered with a wince. "Just got a little carried away. Man, why do we have to finally get our act together when we're both too injured to do much about it?"

Lee stroked a soothing hand down his arm, watching his expression carefully to see if he was still in pain but there didn't seem to be any trace of it. "We have waited this long. I'm sure we can manage a little longer."

"Yeah but that was before I knew you felt the same way," Carter said with a frustrated groan. "I had to keep it hidden then. Do you have any idea how hard that was? You look like a freaking supermodel, man. How am I supposed to resist _this_ ," he gestured at Lee, "when I know I'm allowed to show you how I feel?"

" _This_ ," Lee said, mimicking Carter's gesture at himself, "is currently bruised and injured and not at all like a supermodel."

"Doesn't make me want you any less," Carter replied, a touch of heat in his eyes and Lee flushed at the attention.

"Anyway, how is it you've come out of this looking attractively disheveled," Carter continued heedless of his effect on Lee, reaching up a hand to press at Lee's cheek bone, and Lee felt the sting of a bruise that he hadn't known was there, "and I look like I've been hit by a truck? It's not fair, man!"

He gestured at the dressing on his forehead and the purpling bruise on his own cheek with a put out expression.

"That is not how you look," Lee told him fondly and Carter eyed him disbelievingly.

"Oh yeah? How do I look then?"

Lee reached out to run a finger down his cheek, reveling in the fact that he was allowed to touch him like this now and enjoying the pleased expression it put on Carter's face. "You look like a brave detective who has been through a lot and still come out the other side with a smile on his face."

His finger nudged at the corner of Carter's mouth and it tipped up easily into the aforementioned smile.

"Brave huh?" Carter asked, looking delighted and Lee nodded in affirmation.

"And very handsome," he added just to see the look on Carter's face, although he was being completely honest.

Carter gave him a suspicious look for a moment, clearly trying to decide if Lee was messing with him.

"You really think that?" he asked after a second and Lee lifted Carter's hand to press a kiss to his palm.

"Of course."

Carter's smile grew brighter. "You keep saying things like that and I just might share a bed with you again some time."

"Hopefully one that is actually made for two people," Lee commented, although he didn't really mind the small space. It just meant that they had to be pressed closer together.

"I'll keep that in mind for our first date," Carter laughed and Lee's heart fluttered at the idea.

"Our first date," he echoed. "I would like that."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," Lee agreed with a small smile and Carter squeezed his hand affectionately.

"I'd like that too," Carter smiled, his expression soft, and Lee wanted to kiss him again so badly that he ached with it. He was conscious of their injuries though and so he made do with pressing another kiss to Carter's hand.

They lapsed into contented silence after that, happy to simply be with each other and share the occasional gentle touch. Lee was just starting to drift, the warmth and peaceful happiness edging him towards sleep but the droop of Carter's eyes had him pulling himself back.

"You are not supposed to sleep," he reminded him with a gentle nudge and Carter made a discontented sound, rubbing at his eyes with his uninjured hand.

"Keep me awake then," he said, sounding sleepy, and Lee cast around for a topic of conversation that would keep him engaged.

"Where would you like to go for our first date?" he asked and Carter visibly lit up at the question. He immediately started listing off suggestions and Lee couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as it became obvious that Carter had already put a lot of thought into it. He watched Carter fondly as he talked enthusiastically, content to simply listen to him as he chattered away.

It sounded like Carter had enough ideas to last them for many dates and Lee was sure he would have to intercede soon before he got too carried away, but the fact that Carter wanted to do all these things with him made him happier than he could really put into words just then. And in that moment, despite the broken bones, the bruises and the nightmares that he knew would likely make an appearance later, he really couldn't have been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you liked it.
> 
> Let me know what you thought!


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